Winning Photograph

I game with a group of friends in a clan called the Ninja Fat Pigeons. There are a number of us with an interest in photography and Xan had a great idea to have a monthly photo competition. Many of members of the clan have entered and last month I won with the entry pictured.

The competition is voted for my fellow clan and forum members so thank you very much to all who voted.

Portrait Photography Work

Next week I have got a gig taking some portrait photos for a Leeds companies corporate website. Initially it is only for a couple of the employees but, if the shots go down well, then there is potential for more work in the future.

The best aspect of the work is that it gives me more experience and additional info. to add to my portfolio. I'm also really looking forward to it.

Great News to Come Home To

Following my holiday to Rhodes and the unfortunate accident with my camera (I'm awaiting a call from the insurance company to see what can be done) I returned home to some fantastic news.

I submitted the adjacent picture to Digital SLR Photography magazine for one of their monthly competitions and they rate the picture that you send it. It is graded in four ways:

1.Ungraded

2.Pass

3.Merit

4.Distinction

The theme was for an Environmental Portrait and I managed to get and Pass. It is great to get some recognition from the magazine and I'm really chuffed to have been given a grade.

The the picture is of a homeless gent who I often see around my office in the centre of Leeds. Unfortunately I have not seen him since I took the picture, though I keep one in my bag so that I can give one to him.

Under the Grecian Skies

Rhodes is fabulous. Having said goodbye to the grey skies of the UK and the predictable environments that I normally shoot in, the areas in and around Ixia, where I am staying a fantastic.

So far my travels have taken me to ruined mountain top castles, secluded coves, beautiful vistas and ancient acropolisis'.

Kastou Monolithos has been a particular highlight, on the coast on a hilly outcrop, delapidated but still in good condition and a haven for photography.

The only issue to report so far has been that my camera has had a small accident. It fell out of my camera bag while I was attempting to avoid being run over by a VERY large truck being driven by a very determinded local. The metering is now damaged and manual focus kicks in when the camera is pointed upwards. Thank God for holiday insurrance!

And all this from only the first week, more to follow shortly...................

Off on holiday!

I am about to leave for a two week holiday to the island of Rhodes. It is a welcome and much needed holiday and will also mean the opportunity to take a lot of photographs in a different country to try and capture the culture, landscape and essence of the island. No doubt the odd sunset will make it onto the memory card as well.

This is the aim anyway and hopefully the traverns will not be too distracting!

Well, it's been a while since my last post but that the weather has had a little to do with that. The rain has been falling which has kept me inside and away from the street and candid photography that I have been practising of late.

The weather did lead me to try some flower photography indoors though and has lead me to update my website and upload some pictures to my MrBPhotography section on the Photrade.com website.

Still a lot to be done though.

A H 'air' y Encounter

In an effort to beat the weather and try and improve the shots that I took at Leeds Bradford Airport yesterday I returned this evening. The weather was much better so I parked up in the same spot and awaited the next arrival.

I'd not been there long before a Police van approached and I was invited insided to discuss my intentions at the airport. After a few checks were made on my impecable credentials, a decent chat was had about the various laws of photography and the current 'climate', it was mutually decided that I should toddle off and seek permission from the Airport directly if I wanted to return to take pictures again.

Now, as the Policeman stated, I was doing nothing wrong and had not contravened any laws, but just due to current sensitivites, even on public ground near to an Airport, seeking permission from the Authorities is really a good idea and I would certainly recommend it. The Airport would then ensure that the Police patrol assigned to the Airport, knew exactly who was authorised to be taking photographs at the airport at any one time.

Finding my feet

Well, a new concept and a unusual one at that. I've never had a blog so forgive me if this is all takes a little bit of time to get used to.

I sit with my Samsung GX-10 to my left, with a Sigma 18-200mm drying out after a tricky evening dodging rain at Leeds Bradford Airport, trying out a few ideas for a current photo assignment which is 'Air.'

By bag is on the floor, also drying out with a Pentax 35mm f2, flash gun a few filters filling the other pockets.

Off to look at some of the shots now.